Fostering Public Participation in Budget-making

This publication documents the experiences of pilot testing participatory budgeting at the local level in Indonesia, Marshall Islands, and Pakistan. The pilot testing suggests that civil society’s engagement is not difficult to elicit provided local governments have the political will and technical resources. Using simple, effective, and low-cost methods, local governments can promote transparency and openness in their decision making. The authors conclude that transparency is vital for good governance and that it leads to economic growth and poverty reduction in the long term.